Foment

/fəʊˈmɛnt/ · verb

Meaning

(transitive) To incite or cause troublesome acts; to encourage; to instigate..

Definitions by Sense

1. (transitive) To incite or cause troublesome acts; to encourage; to instigate.
2. (medicine, transitive) To apply a poultice to; to bathe with a cloth or sponge.
3. Fomentation.

Example Sentences

He was arrested for fomenting a riot; after all, it's bad enough being in a riot but starting one is much worse.

Foreign governments have tried to foment unrest.

The factor which had caused the militant five per cent to relax awhile from fomenting discord was the satellites. Sustained research in rocketry had at last succeeded in attaining one of its objectives. It had sent up a missile which stayed up.

Blogjects always have some form of agency — they can foment action and participate; they have an assertive voice within the social web.

Boris Johnson and senior Conservative ministers have vigorously condemned the violence in Washington, but have largely steered clear of condemning Trump for fomenting it.

“Indignation foments extreme behaviour,” the director says of a film he believes will leave audiences wondering: “How far will people go as a result of their anger?”

As figures like Warsi took to the TV and podcast studios the politicians who are normally most vocal when there are divisions to be fomented and culture wars to be fought went awol.

Sties in the eye are irritating and disfiguring. Foment with warm water; at night apply a bread-and-milk poultice.

Synonyms for foment

Antonyms for foment

Related Words

Word Forms

• foments
• fomenting
• fomented

Usage Notes

Choose a synonym only when it preserves the intended meaning, tone, and grammar of the full sentence.

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